The number of homes for sale has declined more sharply in Connecticut's major metro areas than anywhere else in the country, new data shows.

According to figures from Realtor.com, Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven were three of the four areas with the steepest decline in active listings between May 2019 and May 2023, along with Allentown, Pa.

Though inventory has decreased nationwide in that time, the data shows, the trend has been particularly pronounced in Connecticut. As reported by Fortune, the Hartford metro area has seen listings decline by 80 percent over the past four years, while the Bridgeport metro area (which includes Stamford and Norwalk) has seen a drop of 78 percent and the New Haven metro area a drop of 74 percent.

In all three regions, inventory has been declining since at least 2017, reaching new lows this spring.

As is typically the case, lack of inventory has meant higher housing prices in Connecticut, for both renters and buyers. According to Realtor.com data, Connecticut's median listing price ranks 11th nationally, having risen about 20 percent year-over-year, the fourth largest jump of any state.

The median listing price for a home in Connecticut varies significantly among the state's counties. For example, in Hartford County the median listing is $329,000, according to Realtor.com, while the figure is $849,000 in Fairfield County. The median listing in Greenwich is $3.4 million, while in Manchester the number is $275,000.

Data from Fortune shows that home prices remained at their all-time highs in each of Connecticut's eight counties in April, even as they fell in other parts of the country, including parts of neighboring states.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy tweeted about the housing inventory figures Monday night, calling for major changes to Connecticut's housing policy.

"This isn't an advertisement for minor shifts in state housing policy," Murphy said. "Connecticut's housing shortage is our biggest economic liability and local rules making it hard to build new housing are hurting us."

Though the Realtor.com data focuses specifically on homes for purchase, Connecticut also face a shortage of rental housing, with inventory at its lowest level in decades and below that of most other states. Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford all rank among the metro areas with the lowest rental inventory, according to census data.

Housing was a fierce subject of debate during Connecticut's recent legislative session, ending with the defeat of a "fair share" policy that advocates say would have greatly increased affordable housing throughout the state.

Citing implications for economic growth, lawmakers included more than $800 million in affordable housing provisions in the state budget, including funds to promote affordable rental housing as well as a greater investment in a program offering down=payment assistance for first-time home-buyers.

Still, advocates and lawmakers have called for further action, such the easing of local zoning restrictions and requirements that municipalities build a certain amount of affordable housing. These proposals that have often met opposition from officials who don't want new development in their towns.